Sunday, January 9, 2011

Damaged Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent ten years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer, but in the end she was the one who caught him. Two years ago, Gretchen kidnapped Archie and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life, while Archie is in a prison of another kind---addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days off his mind. Archie’s a different person, his estranged wife says, and he knows she’s right. He continues to visit Gretchen in prison once a week, saying that only he can get her to confess as to the whereabouts of more of her victims, but even he knows the truth---he can’t stay away.

When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders. A hungry young newspaper reporter, Susan Ward, begins profiling Archie and the investigation, which sparks a deadly game between Archie, Susan, the new killer, and even Gretchen. They need to catch a killer, and maybe somehow then Archie can free himself from Gretchen, once and for all. Either way, Heartsick makes for one of the most extraordinary suspense debuts in recent memory.

ABOUT SWEETHEART:

Portland detective Archie Sheridan, the former head of the Beauty Killer Task Force, hunted Gretchen Lowell for years before she kidnapped him, tortured him, and then let him go. Now that she is behind bars, Archie is finally piecing his life back together. He’s returned home to his ex-wife and their two children. But no matter how hard Archie tries, he just can’t stop thinking about Gretchen…

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the first corpse he discovered there a decade ago: it turned out to be the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case. Then, the unthinkable happens: Gretchen escapes from prison, and once the news breaks, all of Portland goes on high alert…but secretly, Archie is relieved. He knows he’s the only one who can capture Gretchen—and now he has a plan to get out from under her thumb once and for all. Even if it means becoming her last victim…

ABOUT EVIL AT HEART:

Chelsea Cain’s novels featuring Portland detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell have captivated fans through two New York Times bestselling entries,Heartsick and Sweetheart.

And Gretchen Lowell is still on the loose. These days, she’s more of a cause célèbre than a feared killer, thanks to sensationalist news coverage that has made her a star. Her face graces magazine covers and there have been sightings of her around the world. Most shocking of all, Portland Herald reporter Susan Ward has uncovered a bizarre fan club that celebrates the number of days she’s been free.

Archie Sheridan hunted Gretchen for a decade, and after his last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong, he remains hospitalized months later. When they last spoke, they entered a détente of sorts—Archie agreed not to kill himself if she agreed not to kill anyone else. But when a new body is found accompanied by Gretchen’s trademark heart, all bets are off and Archie is forced back into action. Has the Beauty Killer returned to her gruesome ways, or has the cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?

With Evil at Heart, Chelsea Cain­ is in top form. Delivering heart-stopping thrills and chills, she is an unmatched master of suspense.

ABOUT AUTHOR CHELSEA CAIN:

CHELSEA CAIN was born in 1972, lived the first few years of her life on a hippie commune in Iowa, and grew up in Bellingham, Washington.

Her first novel featuring Detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell, HEARTSICK, was a New York Times bestseller in both hardcover and paperback and has been translated into over 20 languages. SWEETHEART and EVIL AT HEART, the second and third in the series, respectively, are also NYT bestsellers.

Chelsea is a former columnist for The Oregonian, and a regular contributor to The New York Times Book Review.

Her other books include:

DHARMA GIRL: A Road Trip Across the American Generations (Seal Press)

THE HIPPIE HANDBOOK (Chronicle Books)

CONFESSIONS OF A TEEN SLEUTH (Bloomsbury)

DOES THIS CAPE MAKE ME LOOK FAT? Pop Psychology for Superheroes (Chronicle Books)

She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.

GIVEAWAY

AS PART OF THE BLOGIVERSARY, I CHOSE

TO HIGHLIGHT MY BAFFLING BINGO MYSTERY THURSDAYS WITH THIS TRILOGY BY CHELSEA CAIN. I HAVE ONE BRAND NEW HARDBACK SET THAT INCLUDES ALL 3 BOOKS THAT I AM PERSONALLY GIVING AWAY

--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHICH OF THE THREE BOOKS ABOVE YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE THE BEST IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE OR EVEN AFTER YOU HAD READ THEM ALL

+1 MORE ENTRY:BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE MYSTERY BOOK BY ANOTHER AUTHOR THAT YOU HAVE READ AND WOULD RECOMMEND TO OTHERS TO READ.

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comments:

This is a new to me author and series. It has an interesting yet frightening premise. A woman serial killer who has her claws in Archie's psyche. I'd have to read them in order. Love & Hugs,Pampk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

I'd have to recommend Tami Hoag "Guilty As Sin" or Nancy Taylor Rosenberg's "Abuse of Power"both are really good reads that after all these years I still remember them as good.Love & Hugs,Pampk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Without a doubt “HeartSick” seems like the one that has captured my attention. I spent five years doing prison ministries at Lansing, KS correction institute. I am amazed at the number of inmates that followers have that write to them on a regular basis. When I read that Archie visited Gretchen on regular basis because he can’t stay away seems really plausible to me. My goal in visiting the inmates was to be matched with another male inmate under the M2W2 program where two males or two females were matched usually within a one to two year timeframe for the inmate to be released from prison with the idea that you can bring to light how one should live their life in society. Three of the five men that I worked with accepted Christ during this time so when I read this review it brought back those memories of the meetings that took place every week at Lansing, KS. Her other two books also sound intriguing but “HeartSick” really is the one that captured my attention.

Mary Higgins Clark's "Loves Music, Loves to Dance" was awesome. I had run out of books while vacationing in Myrtle Beach and picked this one up when we stopped for gas. Four hours later as we neared home, I closed the book and the very next day went to the library to check out everything she had written. I loved how she kept me guessing and how she built suspense.

I would definitely pick Heart Sick-what a fascinating plot. First off you don't read much about female serial killers and the dynamic between her and Archie seems very twisted and interesting.hmhenderson At yahoo DOT com

I'm currently reading The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer. Really enjoying it, a fun read. It reminds me of National Treasure .. with a secret book, a mystery in the Pentagon, and a possible murder.mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Evil at Heart cause it sounds like Archie is getting it back together and I prefer books where the characters aren't too deeply in pain and that sounds like the first two.

I can't pick one, but a recently new to me author is Beverly Connor. I have read all of her Lindsay Chamberlain books in a month and I worked my way through the first 4 Diane Fallon books with a couple more on my TBR pile.

I can't pick one, but a recently new to me author is Beverly Connor. I have read all of her Lindsay Chamberlain books in a month and I worked my way through the first 4 Diane Fallon books with a couple more on my TBR pile.

I have never read a book by Chelsea Cain. I have heard great things about Heartsick. Heartsick is the one I would want to win most, as I HAVE to start a series with the first book! I think it would likely be my favourite of the 3!

I recently finished a few books that I would recommend. Envy by Sandra Brown, and Mister X by John Lutz. The next is a debut legal thriller, The Insider by Reese Hirsch. It was definitely one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time! I can't wait for him to release another!

I would recommend the Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin. It's a different twist to the historical mystery because the main character is so unique. There are three that I have read already, and I have a fourth waiting for me.

Thanks to all!

Sadly, we will be saying good bye to Bookin' With Bingo early next month. Things just have been too hectic so we have chosen to close down with hopes for a new "BWB" someday. Thanks to all and KEEP READING!